Naruto had always loved the Christmas programs of his church. They were loving, jubilant, warm, and peaceful. He enjoyed greeting families and friends as he passed them, and watching the Primary kids sing Christmas carols up by the podium. Himawari was always the most eager among them. At age 6 she bore an amazing resemblance to her mom, yet more bubbly and talkative just like Naruto himself. Boruto, on the other hand, was a different matter. That 8-year-old brat was rebellious and arrogant, yet undeniably smart and talented. Naruto hated to admit that Boruto had everything he wish he had at his age. Or maybe he should be glad about it, because every father wanted their sons to surpass them.
The kids started singing. This year it was Away in a Manger. Naruto watched his kids with a big smile on his face. He patted Hinata lightly by her shoulder, expressing how happy and content he was. In his peripheral, he saw Sasuke glance toward him. It was a subtle look, but obvious enough for him to catch it.
He still couldn't believe that Sasuke's family had flown over to spend the holidays in his town all the way from the West Coast. They hadn't seen each other in years; ever since Sakura accepted her offer as a physician in California, the whole family moved. Even so, they had all been friends since college, him and Sasuke even longer than that, so the distance and space didn't affect their friendship. Plus, they brought Sarada with them. It'd been a while since Naruto last saw her, despite the posts on social media and stuff. Born in the same year as Boruto, Sasuke and Sakura's daughter had grown up fast. She had her dad's eyes and hair, as well as that sense of intensity and quick wit that ran in the Uchiha family. However, her face was more like Sakura's, as well as a more sociable personality and a richer expression of emotions.
Naruto truly enjoyed watching them. These people were the most important components in his life. He turned his head and returned the glance Sasuke shot him, giving him an ear-to-ear smile. Sasuke let out a quiet sigh, closing his eyes briefly, and mouthed something at him.
Naruto read his lips and realized it was a bare bold "Usuratonkachi." That asshole, he thought to himself. He hadn't changed a bit since elementary school.
Sasuke's stay had been fun and eventful. The two families went skiing and snowboarding, had a big Christmas dinner, and watched several movie marathons at Naruto's house. The kids seemed to be getting along amazingly well, especially Boruto and Sarada. Last time they were together, they were yet too little to develop much friendship, but now it seemed like they were old enough to put up pranks against the adults. At first Naruto thought Sarada would be the stoic, serious type just like her father, but man how he was awfully mistaken. Sarada might be a serious child, but she had a facade that was playful and curious no less than Boruto. What made it worse was that she was incredibly good at concealing her real intentions, tricking people into her trap. Naruto could see that in Sasuke as well, as no one knew better than him that Sasuke was such a tsundere, with reverse attitudes towards different people, in different situations.
Throughout their week-long gathering, Naruto had often sensed Sasuke glance at him. But when he looked back he would immediately avoid eye-contact. Naruto thought maybe Sasuke wanted to say something to him, in private, since they hadn't got a chance to be alone since Sasuke's arrival. It's not like he didn't want to spend any lone time with him, it was that they were both too preoccupied, with wives and children running around and food being prepared. They were adults now, nearly 35 years old, having so much more responsibilities to bear and things to attend. It's not like they could just hang out whenever and wherever they wanted to. Nevertheless, Naruto knew that Sasuke hadn't changed. His face, physique, silhouette, and aura all freshly reminded him of his youth. Sasuke had always been a stunning man, and such attraction seemed to only have accumulated as he aged. Naruto didn't know how Sasuke viewed himself, but somehow he got intuitively reassured whenever he looked into the Raven's eyes. They were tacit, suppressed, yet screaming of longing and love, and maybe lust as well, but Naruto couldn't read him that well.
